(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for depositing a configuration of a fusible powder on a reveiving surface for subsequent application to a substrate to change certain reinforcement/stiffening or decorative characteristics of that substrate, and more particularly to an apparatus for producing reinforcing or decorative means for application to shoe uppers prior to their assembly on a shoe last.
(2) Prior Art
The shoe and apparel industry have for many years years provided reinforcement/stiffening or decorative means to their products. Manufactures of pajamas, blue jeans, sports clothing, including sports equipment such as gloves, caps with visors, and the like, as well as shoe manufacturers hav stitched, glued or otherwise applied layers of reinforcing material to their products for a variety of reasons. It has been standard for the shoe industry to apply the reinforcement/stiffening or decorative means as a layer of molten thermoplastic material adherable to a shoe upper. Early attempts at reinforcing or stiffening a shoe upper have included providing preformed stiffener elements or counters, which are inserted into a shoe upper, prior to lasting. Separate moldable sheet materials softenable by heating or by solvent have been inserted in the shoe uppers prior to lasting and are shaped in the course of lasting to a desired configuration which configuration they retain by being allowed to harden before removal of the shoe upper from the last. Shoe uppers have also been stiffened by impregnating a shoe component with a solution or dispersion in a volatile liquid vehicle of hardenable stiffener materials prior to lasting of the shoe upper, the shoe upper being stiffened by hardening of the impregnating material after the shoe is lasted.
One such way of stiffening shoe uppers is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,573 to Chaplick et al, wherein a shoe upper has a selected area in which a resiliently flexible stiffener element is fluidly deposited, and heated to a moldable point, and brought to a three-dimensional configuration which it will retain on cooling.
Another arrangement for coating shoe parts is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,624 to Kamborian, wherein a stencil plate rests upon a shoe upper, a concave support surface holds the combination, whereupon a doctor blade wipes across the plate to deposit a fluid stiffener into the depression in the shoe upper.
A more recent arrangement for stiffening shoe components, is shown in U.S. Pat. NO. 3,973,285 to Babson et al, comprising an arrangement for depositing a molten charge of thermoplastic on a shoe upper held in a margin clamping means.
The prior art arrangements may occasionally work well, but they also may leak their molten material out of conecting joints, the nozzles may drool, the patterns require time and patience to change, and the final reinforced surface may not be as smooth as desired because the discharge pattern of the nozzles may remain, even if the molten material is pressed after it has been applied or cools. The material usable in these prior art mechines are limited by their flow properties and heat stability characteristics, which necessitate careful tailoring to individual applications. Seams and overlaid patterns have also proved difficult for smooth application of the materials thereover, as well as being difficult in holding non-flat surfaces by the apparatus.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a stencil apparatus which will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for helping manufacture reinforcement/stiffening or decorative means in a desired configuration as an individual piece or as a part of a substrate such as a shoe upper or piece of cloth-type material, which configuration may be made from a wide choice of low cost polymeric materials having superior physical characteristics which may be readily changed to facilitate various shoe upper patterns or styles or reinforcement/stiffening or decorative requirements of the garment with conveniently made low cost stencil tooling.
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to provide a means which will permit the subsequent manufacture a smooth stiffened/reinforced shoe upper, without the inconveniences of the prior art.